Psalms 90:13

90:13 Turn back toward us, O Lord!

How long must this suffering last? ¹ 

Have pity on your servants! ² 

Psalms 90:16

90:16 May your servants see your work! ³ 

May their sons see your majesty! ⁴ 

Psalms 102:28

102:28 The children of your servants will settle down here,

and their descendants ⁵  will live securely in your presence.” ⁶ 

[90:13]  ¹ tn Heb “Return, O Lord! How long?”

[90:13]  ² tn Elsewhere the Niphal of נָחַם (nakham) + the preposition עַל (’al) + a personal object has the nuance “be comforted concerning [the personal object’s death]” (see 2 Sam 13:39; Jer 31:15). However, here the context seems to demand “feel sorrow for,” “have pity on.” In Deut 32:36 and Ps 135:14, where “servants” is also the object of the preposition, this idea is expressed with the Hitpael form of the verb.

[90:16]  ³ tn Heb “may your work be revealed to your servants.” In this context (note v. 17) the verb form יֵרָאֶה (yera’eh) is best understood as an unshortened jussive (see Gen 1:9; Isa 47:3).

[90:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “and your majesty to their sons.” The verb “be revealed” is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[102:28]  ⁵ tn Or “offspring”; Heb “seed.”

[102:28]  ⁶ tn Heb “before you will be established.”